It has been a tremendous season for prospects across Major League Baseball. Scattered throughout the league are young players making huge impacts at the highest level. The talent rush is great for the game. It is also great for fantasy players. Missed out on an impact outfielder? Here's Oscar Mercado. Need another arm? Logan Allen is available.
With such a frantic pace of promotions -- I would guess most have lost 15-25 players from pre-season rankings -- it can be hard to replenish the supply, but this crop of prospects has deep reserves. The next group of potential stars will be front and center this Sunday in Cleveland.
The 2019 Futures Game will look a little different. No longer will it the United States against the world. This year, the game takes on the traditional American League versus National League format.
With that in mind, let's take a look at five players on each side to keep an eye on. Some will have a more immediate timeline while others are ones to keep an eye on for 2020 and beyond.
National League
Sixto Sanchez, SP, Miami Marlins
Sanchez was the crown jewel of the trade package received by the Marlins from the Philadelphia Phillies in the J.T. Realmuto trade this spring. I will admit I broke one of my own rules when evaluating him early on; one that I mentioned above. I pegged him as reliever because he is undersized with a history of shoulder and elbow ailments. That said, he is winning me over this season. The stuff is unquestionable. It is an 80 fastball with a triple-digit ceiling. He has also shown the ability to sustain velocity later in outings. He pairs the heater with a curveball that will be an out pitch in the majors and a changeup that will play above-average and be useful against lefties. Sanchez also has fantastic control and should have command soon enough. I have seen enough in the first half to flip my initial thought. He is a starter; a good one. Until he is not, of course.
MacKenzie Gore, SP, San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are going to be fun for a long time. With a superstar left side of the infield, a potential leadoff hitter across the bag, useful veterans on the corner and a young pitching staff, they are set up for a serious five-year run of big time success. Gore not only will add to that nucleus, but has the potential to lead the way. Considered by many as the best left-handed pitching prospect in the game - I'll still take Jesus Luzardo for now - he is dominating the California League. The third overall pick in 2017 has accumulated a 1.02 ERA in 79 1/3 innings with 114 strikeouts. He has allowed just 36 hits and 20 walks. It's easy low-to-mid 90s cheddar with one of the best curveballs in the minors. He also has a secondary breaking ball and a changeup with good feel for location. He is probably a year away, but could be the best of the current bunch and perhaps the best pitcher in the Futures game.
Alec Bohm, 3B, Philadelphia Phillies
Like Gore, Bohm was selected third overall just a year later. The Phillies have been trying to solve the hot corner after the disappointing display by Maikel Franco. Bohm is the long-term answer there - even with some question marks about the glove - but is probably not a factor until mid-2020. After tearing up the Florida State League with Clearwater, he has moved on the Double-A Reading. It is a small sample, but he appears up to the task of facing more advanced pitching. Arguably the best hitter in his class, he has shown the ability to hit for average and power while commanding the strike zone. Even with just average defense, he has all-star potential because the bat is that good.
Gavin Lux, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
Lux is the only player in this post to have made it on to the weekly top-10 list. He handled the Texas League well enough to earn a promotion to Oklahoma City. The early returns have been fantastic. Lux is a true shortstop that should be able to handle the rigors of the position at the highest level. That said, the Dodgers have Corey Seager there so it will take some creativity to get both in the lineup. Los Angeles has excelled at juggling pieces in the past. He is a smooth right-handed bat with above-average power potential and speed to impact the game. A 20/30 season is not out of the realm of possibility as a full-timer somewhere in the middle of the diamond.
Taylor Trammell, OF, Cincinnati Reds
Trammell has struggled at the plate this season, but remains one of the more physically gifted players playing professional ball. Trammell has plus speed. So much so he had the opportunity to play football for Georgia Tech. He already owns a 40-steal season and is 15-18 in stolen base attempts this year. The wheels also allow him to track down balls in center field where he can limit the exposure to his average-ish arm. Despite the lack of production in 2019, he still projects to hit quite a bit. I have seen some 60 grades put on the bat with some reports approaching a similar grade in power. Sometimes it takes incredible athletes a little longer to harness all their abilities. The Reds hope that is the case with Trammell.
American League
J.B. Bukauskas, P, Houston Astros
The 15th overall pick in 2017, Bukauskas remains an enigma. Is he a starter with a three-pitch mix, iffy control and number three upside? Or is he a high-leverage reliever with a plus fastball and plus slider that can dominate in the late innings. Both camps have solid arguments and there may be no wrong answer. In the age of the opener, Bukauskas could be an ideal bulk pitcher -- tasked with getting 9-12 outs. This would allow his plus stuff to still play up while mitigating some of the control concerns and development more pitches. I am always of the belief that you keep a starter as a starter until he proves that he is not a starter. We're not at that point yet. For the purpose of Sunday, look for the 98-mph fastball and hard slider that tantalizes evaluators.
Deivi Garcia, SP, New York Yankees
If this were the stock market, everyone would be trying to get shares of Deivi Garcia. The Yankees' top prospect is going to rocket up mid-season rankings after a dominant first half. Across two levels, he has racked up 114 strikeouts in 68 2/3 innings. He has a 15 strikeout game to his credit and registered at least 15 swings and misses in seven games including two starts in which he induced 24 whiffs a piece. Meanwhile, he is young. He just turned 20 in May. He is undersized. He is listed at 5-9 which means he is actually shorter than that. And he is a pitcher. Even though he is already in Double-A, there is plenty that can go wrong between Trenton and the Bronx considering his age and size. That said, the stuff is there. He has a mid-90s fastball, a plus breaking ball and enough of a changeup right now to project an average third pitch. The Yankees have definitely fast-tracked him. There is an outside chance he makes it to the majors -- at least as a reliever -- this fall.
Wander Franco, SS, Tampa Bay Rays
With the graduations of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr. and others, Franco is the consensus top prospect in baseball. It is a title he should carry for at least the next 12 months as he works his way through the minor league circuit before settling in the Tampa Bay area sometime in late 2020. Franco is a legit five-tool player that will impact the game on both ends. He is has the footwork, arm and flash to play shortstop. There is a chance he moves to third at some point, but like a starting pitcher, I do not move a shortstop until I have to. Offensively, it is an MVP profile. A true switch-hitter, it is a double-plus bat for me. He is also developing power - more from the left side - that could settle around 60-grade. He the speed to match the power and an eye that is well beyond his teenage years. He was recently bumped to High-A where is has showed no signs of slowing down in the Florida humidity. He is the favorite to steal the show in Cleveland.
Jo Adell, OF, Los Angeles Angels
If there is one player who can approach the brightness of Franco's star, it is Adell. It is actually a little unfair to the National League that they will be in the same uniform. Drafted in 2017, Adell is already a top-five prospect and turning it on at the Double-A level. After missing time this spring with hamstring and ankle injuries, he is hitting almost .400 for the Mobile Baybears. He combines plus power with speed that impacts both sides of the ball. He should be an extra-base machine with steals and the ability to track the ball in center. Hitting 30 home runs should be an attainable goal when he reached his peak. There is concern about his discipline and he may not be a .300 hitter. Meanwhile, a 30/30 center fielder with a solid average is still an all-star much like he is this weekend.
Luis Robert, OF, Chicago White Sox
Robert, a 21-year-old Cuban national who signed for a whopping $26 million in 2017, is quickly putting himself in conversations that involved Franco and Adell. Robert has tremendously quick hands, feet and budding power that he is starting to tap into after some nagging injuries hampered his early progress. He is hitting around .350 with more than 40 extra-base hits in over 300 plate appearances across two levels. Even after a promotion to Double-A. He has maintained an average above .300 with solid pop. Speed wise, he is going to steal 30 bases as a regular. He will easily pass that total this season. He has the physical tools to play center although the technical aspects need some refinement. He is another 30/30 threat with the type of raw power to take over an exhibition game.